Marathon Training: Week 12

Hard to believe it is time to get ready for the big trip to Disney World. Ahh, where has the time gone? I am so ready to run through all four parks.

Monday: No run or work out. I did walk a lot at work because of how busy we were.

Tuesday: 4 mile run in the neighborhood. First run since 21 miles. Legs felt great.

Wednesday: Busy day at work. No gym. :(

Thursday: No run. Took the day off to relax.

Friday: 5 mile run on the treadmill at the gym. I had no motivation to run outside for some reason so I forced myself to run at the gym.

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest/Packed for Disney

Marathon Training: Week 11

Last long run before the marathon at Disney. Because the 21 miles fell on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, I had to take a day off from work to be able to get it in during the week.

Monday: Switched it up today. I ran 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym.

Tuesday: Core work

Wednesday: Bicep/tricep day since I skipped on Monday.

Thursday: Ran 21 miles. Felt great. A little out of it at the end, but that's okay. :)

Friday: Rest day. Much needed after running 21 yesterday.

Saturday: Worked for a little bit before Christmas Eve shenanigans. Oh, and walked 4 trail miles.

Sunday: Rest. Christmas fun!

Marathon Training: Week 10

I had no motivation this week. I only managed to run once the entire week. :(

Monday: Arm day at the gym. Pushed it. Felt great

Tuesday: No run since I planned on running on Wednesday with friends.

Wednesday: Leg day followed by a run with some friends after work.

Thursday: I was suppose to run but ended up not running.

Friday: No gym day. I was hosting a party later on so I had things I needed to finish up.

Saturday: No run.

Sunday: No run.

Marathon Training: Week 9

Another long run weekend. 18 miles....I am so close to being done with training. It's so crazy!

Monday: Bicep/tricep day. I feel like I haven't done this in months but really it's only been a week.

Tuesday: I know we need rain but I am over it right now. I had to go to the gym again to run. I am not liking the treadmill right now. I sucked it up though and got my 4 miles.

Wednesday: Took it easy on leg day. I didn't want tired legs the rest of the week.

Thursday: 4 miles at the park. Cold and windy run. Felt slow because of it.

Friday: Chest and back day.

Saturday: 18 mile run. I felt amazing out there. I am definitely ready for this marathon in a few weeks. :)

Sunday: Rest day.

Marathon Training: Week 8

Slow week after having a very busy holiday week.

Monday: I had to work a lot this day so I wasn't able to get back in the gym. :(

Tuesday: Because of the rainy weather (thank goodness for rain), I had to go to the gym to run. My friend, Angela, met me there so we could run. Made the run go by a bit faster. We did 4 miles.

Wednesday: Leg and shoulder day. I was excited to be back.

Thursday: 4 miles at the park. It was cold and windy but at least the rain stopped.

Friday: Chest and back day.

Saturday: My schedule called for 6 to 8 miles, so I had Angela meet me at the park. We got 6 miles in.

Sunday: Rest

Marathon Training: Week 7

Because of the holiday week, my crosstraining was a bit crazy. I wasn't able to really work out because I was at work... A LOT. I got my long run in as well. Felt great even after a very long week of work.

Monday: No gym time. Work had me crazy busy. :(

Tuesday: I was able to get 4 quick miles in between work shifts. Is this holiday over with yet?

Wednesday: Work day.  I wasn't able to get to the gym but I did do a lot of walking around at work.

Thursday: 4 Thanksgiving miles. So happy I was able to get that in before eating all the food. :)

Friday: More work and some shopping.

Saturday: Worked then relaxed the rest of the day to get ready for the 16 mile run.

Sunday:Ran 16 miles with my running friend Kim. I had a great run. I was happy to be done but also felt like I could have kept going.

Marathon Training: Week 6 (Halfway)

I can't believe I am half way through my marathon training. The time is flying by very quickly.

Monday: Light work out at the gym. Worked my biceps and triceps.

Tuesday: Slow, short 3 mile run at the park. My legs felt great but I didn't want to push it just yet.

Wednesday: Leg day at the gym.

Thursday: Speedy 5 mile run at the park. The hills are getting easier each time I run there.

Friday: Chest and back day.

Saturday: Cold, windy 8 mile run. A little faster than normal.

Sunday: Rest day.

Marathon Training: Week 5

Great week. I felt great on Sunday after my longest run. I only hope I feel like this after every long run. :)

Monday: Bicep/tricep day at the gym. A little busier than normal but I was able to get to equipment I needed to use.

Tuesday: I wanted to run 5 miles, but since I was running on a hillier part of a park that I normally don't run at, I decided to stick to 4 miles. I thought I was going slower than normal, but really I wasn't. Felt great.

Wednesday: I had to skip leg day which I hate! I wasn't feeling well from all the smoke that is making it's way down from the North GA forest fires.

Thursday: Due to the smoke being really bad, I skipped my run. I could have ran on the TM and had planned on it after work, but it didn't happened.

Friday: Chest and back day at the gym. Getting stronger.

Saturday: 14 miles. You guys, I ran 14 miles. MY LONGEST RUN SO FAR. Ahh. The run went great. I felt great.

All smiles after running 14 miles!

Sunday: Rest day. Much needed after the 14 miler.

Marathon Training: Week 4

After running 12 on Sunday, this week was pretty easy going. I made sure to take time off when I needed.

Monday: Rest day. I wanted to go to the gym to cross-train but I was exhausted still from my long run on Sunday.

Tuesday: Easy 4 mile run with my friend, Angela. Legs felt great compared to the day before.

Wednesday: Leg and shoulder day. Wasn't able to get everything I wanted to do. Maybe next week.

Thursday: After staying up way too late watching the World Series the night before, I felt like I was dragging today on my 4 mile run. Got it done though.

Friday: Chest and back day at the gym. Felt great.

Saturday: 8 mile run with Kim in Suwanee. We decided to make up our own little route. It was a nice change.

Sunday: Rest day. Much needed with the time change.

Marathon Training: Week 3

This week was a challenge at the end, but I survived.


Monday: Great work out at the gym. Focused on abs, biceps, and triceps.

Tuesday: Woke up to a cool morning. Got 5 miles in at the local park. My favorite place to run especially during this time of year.

Wednesday: Great leg day at the gym. Going to be switching it up some next week.

Thursday: Ran with my friend Angela and her two daughters. We did 4 miles around at the park. 

Friday: Chest and back day. I also decided to go for a quick 1 mile run after. I wanted to see if I could push it for my upcoming race on Sunday.

Saturday: Rest day. 

Sunday: Race day (5K) plus 9 miles on the greenway afterwards. It was tough towards the end. I wanted to stop. I went out fast at the race so my legs were exhausted during the rest of my training run.

Marathon Training: Week 2

Pretty easy week. Nothing too out of the normal. As I said in the previous blog entry, the miles I am currently running are normal to me. Next week may be a different story.

Monday: Because of work, I wasn't able to get my work out in this day. Busy busy day makes for one tired me at the end of it.

Tuesday: My schedule calls for 4 to 5 miles, I was feeling great out there, so I ran 5 miles. Legs felt great despite being on my feet a lot the day before.

Wednesday: Leg and shoulder day. I did a little more than I normally do but also left some stuff out. I walked out of there with jello legs.

Thursday: I didn't run or go to the gym. I did some ab stuff at home and lifted some stuff here. Nothing too crazy like I normally do at the gym.

Friday: I normally don't like running back to back days if I can avoid it. I took it easy and only did 4 miles at the park.

Saturday: Ran 8 miles with friends. It was a bit cooler than it has been. Had a great run. Legs felt amazing out here.

Sunday: Rest and get ready for the week.


Week 3 is going to be interested. I have a 12-mile run scheduled for Sunday. The Same day I am also doing a 5K. So I will race and then go to the greenway to finish up the rest of my 8.9 miles.

Marathon Training: Week 1

Marathon training has officially kicked off. This week was like any other run that I have been doing all summer.

Monday - weights in the gym. As a personal trainer, I know the importance of cross training, so I am making sure I stay on top of that. It shouldn't be a problem since the gym is my second home. Today, I did my normal routine. Biceps, triceps, and abs.

Tuesday - Nice chilly 4 mile run at the local park. Felt great to finally have a break from the heat.

Wednesday - Leg, shoulder, and ab day. Probably one of my favorite gym days. I know I am a bit weird.

Thursday - I was supposed to have a speed drill day, but it never happened. No worries.

Friday - Chest, back, and abs day at the gym. Great work out. I love pushing myself. After the gym, I went to the park and did a 2-mile run. I wanted to keep going but just couldn't.

Saturday - No run. Took it easy.

Sunday - Got up and run 10 miles with a friend. My normal running group was in Michigan running a half marathon up there. I had a great run. Got a little warm towards the end of it, but over all good run.

That's the end of my first week. As I mentioned above, this week was like any other week for me. I don't think training will hit me until I hit the higher miles in a few weeks.

Marathon Training

Marathon training has officially started (well, it will be next week). Crazy to think it's already that time. So over the next 12 weeks, I am going to be blogging about my training. How I am doing, feeling, etc. Hopefully, this will help someone else who is looking to jump into marathon training or any distance.

Many people have asked am I nervous? Kind of sort of. I think the only long runs I dread are 16 and 21 miles. With 16 miles, I've heard it changes you. And the 21 miler....well, let's face it who goes off and runs 21 miles for fun. I know I don't. But luckily, I will be running with a friend who is doing the race with me. I know she and I will get through it one way or another. Plus, having someone who has done this before helps a lot.

Be sure to check out my blog over the next 12 weeks. I will be posting about my training.

2016 Flying Pig Half Marathon Recap

Race day is finally here. I am so excited to run the streets of Cincinnati. On Saturday, it had rained a good bit throughout the day which caused me to rethink my outfit since I had no idea if it would be raining or not race morning.

So in the theme of it possibly raining during the half, I decided to be a "fish." I bought my Trigger shirt and water shorts by INKnBURN.

We stayed about a mile away from the start of the race. The walk wasn't bad. I felt like it was a warm-up for the race.

It sprinkled on us for a little bit while we made our way to the start line, but stopped shortly before the race started.

One thing I thought was pretty cool about this race is that our corrals are called pig pens.

The race started right on time.

We made our way along the Ohio River on to the streets before turning on to a bridge (forgot the name) crossing into Kentucky. We ran in Kentucky for about three miles before crossing another bridge back into Ohio. So far this far has been pretty flat compared to what I was use to, but I knew it wouldn't last for long.

The crowd support along the course was unbelievable. Better than some of the big local races near me.

Mile 4 - 6, we made our way back towards the city. Around this time, the humidity was starting to kick in and I wishing I had gone with my original outfit instead, but how was I suppose to know?

Miles 7 - 9 was nothing but hills. At one point during the race, we were overlooking Cincy, which I thought was amazing. I wish I had stopped for a photo. It would have been worth the extra minutes.

Miles 10 - 13 was completely downhill. Yep, downhill. I loved it. I knew not to kill it the first mile downhill. I just let my legs and gravity do the work.

I was at the finish swine before I knew it. 

I finished at 2:00. 

The snacks we got after the race were amazing. I only wish I had a bag to put everything in it because I could only carry so much.

They had us meet up with friends and family by the Ohio River. Perfect place for a picture after a tough but fun half marathon.

After we finished up with photos, it was time to head back to our hotels to get ready for the drive home. It was a great weekend. I highly recommend adding this race to your bucket list. I will be back to run it again in the future.

Bye Cincinnati!! :(

2015 GA Publix Half Recap - It finally happened...

So yesterday was the GA Publix Half Marathon, the weather was perfect minus the crazy wind at times which made things seem colder.

Flat Ramona ready to run the hills of Atlanta

I was anxious to get started or maybe I was just ready to start moving to get warm. Either way, I was ready. Even though the course is a challenge, it is still one of my favorites courses out there. A lot of it may have to do with the scenery and the spectators that come out and cheer us all on.

Before the race I met up with some fellow INKnBURN people for a group photo before heading to our corrals. 

The race started on time. Since I was in B, it didn't seem to take long before we were at the start line waiting for our start.

And we're off...

The first half of the race seemed to go by quickly for me. I was feeling great. My legs were happy (which is a plus seeing how I don't run a lot of hills in training).

The second half of the race I knew was going to be a challenge. The hill coming out of Piedmont Park is always a struggle as well as the last hill over by GT.

The last 3 miles of the race turned into a mental game for me. I knew what to expect. I knew to stay on track for a PR; I needed to time my short walk breaks and push through the tough hills.

Soon we were at Georgia Tech. I hate the hills over there. The very last big hill we have is about as bad as the 10th Street hill, if not worse.

I pushed myself up that hill. And now for the home stretch. Longest mile ever. I knew I needed to hold on. I kept telling myself I was only out for a quick run.

Finally, I see the brown building. I knew I was almost there. I kept looking at my watch. I was close oh so very close. I heard the announcer saying you have 20 seconds to sub-2 to the people already sprinting in. 

I turn the corner. I look up and see the clock 2:00:42. I take off. Where that energy from, I have no idea but I just I knew that I had PR'd, but I also knew I had just done something I said I couldn't do on that course. I finally did a sub-2 half marathon!!!

Celebrating as I make my way to finish line!

Official time: 1:57:42

2016 Peachtree Road Race Lottery - OPEN

Today is the day to enter the lottery for the Peachtree Road Race here in Atlanta that takes place on July 4th. It is by far one of my favorite races of all time and holds a special in my heart.

If you are looking to getaway for the 4th of July and want to race as well, why not consider entering the lottery for the Peachtree Road Race? You will not be disappointed, I promise. And if you are local and never ran the race or maybe you have, what are you waiting for....register!!!

I am signed up and excited to run my 12th (yep, 12th straight) Peachtree Road Race. Like I said before it is my favorite and holds a special place in my heart. 

Registration for the Peachtree is open from March 15th to the 22nd. Don't delay, register today!!!

2015 Fast Pace 5K Recap

As of lately, I am not a big fan of 5K races. I feel like by the time I get going the race is over, but since I have been working a lot on my speed, I decided to give this 5K a go.

This particular race is to help raise awareness for Prostate Cancer. Since this hits close to home, I was excited to run it. They even had a screening there for the guys.

The race started right on time. We had a nice down hill start. I knew from other friends who have ran this race before to not take over too fast. I held back even though I wanted to fly. I am glad I did.

A few people said they didn't like the course and found it was harder than last years. Since this was my first time running this particular race, I had nothing to compare it to. I felt the course was great. Loved the rolling hills in the middle and the slight downhill finish at the Cumming Fairgrounds.

Even though I wasn't able to PR, I did come close. I'm finally seeing the speed I had two years ago. I guess all the stuff I have been doing is finally paying off, right? :) I did, however, place 3rd in my age group. A first for the new age group.

My official time was 24:08.

It was great to have so many people I know from the Suwanee Big Peach run group out there running it.

2015 Michelob 13.1 Atlanta Recap

In July at the Peachtree Road Race Expo, I decided I was going to run the Michelob 13.1 on Oct 4th. I did the Publix Half in March, so I would be getting the Atl Challenge medal as well as the half medal.

A few days leading up to the race, we had some crazy rain that caused them to change the race course. Since I had never actually ran in that area, I  didn't know what to expect even with the last minute changes. I just knew it would be hilly.

Race start promptly at 7 AM. We had a threat of rain, but luckily, it only sprinkled on us, which was refreshing.

The first few miles weren't too bad. We had a few rolling hills. But, those didn't last long. It seemed like the hills were getting longer each time we had a new one to go up. Or maybe it was just how I felt. Either way, I was about ready to be done around mile 8. Because of the course change, we had to loop back to parts of the course that we ran in the first half of the race. That was okay, and all, but the hill around mile 11 took all I had left.

I was trying to stay ahead of the 2:10 pacer, but as soon as she passed me, I knew I wasn't even going to try to catch up.

We had a little uphill finish. I will admit, I walked some of it. Once I could see the finish line, I started running. By the look on my face in my finisher photo, I was glad to be done.

I have said I won't be running this race again next year. I see no point. I hated that course with a passion. I may consider volunteering for it, but I won't be running it.

One of my main complaints was the lack of water. I later found out because of the rain that was being brought in from the hurricane a lot of stuff wasn't able to get here in time. I normally run with a water bottle but decided not to this race. Next time I ever have any doubt, I will just bring it.

INKnBURN Ambassador

I meant to post this last week but got busy with work.

Back in July, I applied to be an ambassador for INKnBURN. Well, after about a month, I finally got an email telling me I had been selected. I am excited about this opportunity.

If you are friends with me on Facebook or Instagram, you know I run/work out in their clothing. Some of my friends think I am crazy, and others have jumped on board. I am glad I have found a clothing company that I love. If you have never heard of them, go check them out here. You won't be disappointed in their clothes. I promise! :)